The 24th Annual
Film Festival
In honor of Hip Hop’s 50th birthday, we celebrate hip hop with our 24th Film Festival. My first introduction to Hip Hop came in the Summer of 1979, with a record by the Fat back band featuring a rapper by the name of King Tim III, that my older brother had bought. Although Hip Hop started in 1973, the sounds from this record started a love affair with Hip Hop, which continues to this day.
1.Hip Hop 50th
2.Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem 2008 Rapathon
3.Hype 2phones
4.Jay Z in Richmond
5.Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem 2nd Rapathon
6.Roots, Rhymes, & Rage: The Hip Hop story
7.Roots, Rhymes, & Rage: The Hip Hop story part 2
8.The Roots Rock the Jamestown 400th
9.Blue Rosez
HFI Hall of Fame Inductees
1999- Oscar Micheaux (1885-1951)
2000- Melvin Van Peebles (1932-2021)
2001-Gordon Parks (1912-2006)
2002 -Noble Johnson (1881-1978 )
2003-Spencer Williams (1893-1969)
2004-Ivan Dixon (1931-2009)
2005-Sidney Poitier (1927-2022)
2006-Clarence Muse (1889-1979)
2006-Charles Burnett
2007-Ossie Davis (1917-2005)
2007-William Greaves (1926-2014)
2008-Michael Schultz
2009-Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
2010-Spike Lee
2011-Julie Dash
2012-Robert Townsend
2013-Reggie Hudlin
2014-Steve McQueen
2015-F Gary Gray
2016-Barry Jenkins
2017-Albert Hughes
2018-Warrington Hudlin
2019-John Singleton (1968-2019)
2020-Ava DuVernay
2021-Chadwick Boseman (1977-2020)
2022-Kathleen Collins (1942-1986)
2023-Ryan K. Coogler
Hi I’m Melvin Best, founder and director of the Harlem Film Institute. I am an educator, avid film lover and all around nice guy.